What made you become a writer, reader, editor, publisher?

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Why did you become a writer, reader, editor, publisher?

[[deleted user]]

Every writer have an interesting story about what made them start writing. This is my story of what inspired me to start writing the Ancestor's Secrets series. I was browsing my bookshelves and whined to my daughter that I had nothing new to read. She said, "You don't have a book to read? Then write one." Her statement shocked me, but after I opened an old book that I haven't touched for decades, I found a handwritten note. I must have been about twelve when I wrote it to my classmate (we didn't have iPhones and text messages back then) and the note was written in the ancient Hun writing. I haven't used those letters for so long, I almost forgotten them, but to my surprise, I could read the note. It triggered my imagination for a story about Ilona, a young doctor who settled into a world of logic and reason. She inherits a world of secrets, traditions, and magical powers and is left to piece together her clan’s past, using nursery rhymes taught to her by her mother. Learning some of the secrets not only confuses her, but places her in mortal danger. When a sinister man appears, Ilona connects his presence to a series of mysterious deaths. He can influence others to kill her, but why can’t he touch her? There are clues around every corner, and the elusive answers draw her further into the world of secrets. As if the mysteries aren't enough, her life becomes more complicated when she meets the dashing stranger. Although he saves her life by putting his own life in danger, she senses evil in him. The first book of The Ancestor’s Secrets series raises questions such as: what if there is a secret society exists hidden among us with its strict rules and fiercely enforced laws, and certain members come to possess magical powers? What if finding love, despite the obstacles thrown our way, is possible? What if we could have the power to create our own future and visit the ancestors in the past?
Read more: http://www.authorerikamszabo.com/the-...

[Jennifer]

I am currently a reader, writer, author, layout designer and publisher, but a long time ago I wasn't even a reader. For several years I hated to read. My teachers had said I would never be a reader, but then I watched a TV show. This TV show was Wishbone, featuring the adventures of a book loving Jack Russell Terrier. It wasn't until I discovered books based off his TV show that I both read and loved a book. By this time I was now completely obsessed with his books and actually still am but now I collect everything Wishbone. Anyway, I eventually came to learn that I loved to read about animals particularly books from their point of view. Once I discovered that I went on to find many great books to read and as the years went on my interests expanded. Now I currently have about 16 shelves full of books that I haven't read, as well as an almost full Kindle and iPad. As far as writing, as my grandma tells it I have been writing ever since I first learned how to print. One of my earliest stories was about a mouse that wanted a pet dog. It is only around one paragraph long but still remains a good short story even today. Another of my early works was inspired by the relationship between my dog and my rabbit and was about how the two species learned to get along. I never thought much about my writing, it was just something I did and had fun doing. Sometimes I would simply have a story appear in my head and have to write it down. Other times I wrote a story based off a drawing I made. Then there were the times it was required for school that I wrote a story which was always easy for me to do. My life as a writer probably began when I wrote the first story in my Mortal Realm Witch series. One of my favorite shows had always been Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Although it seems hard to imagine now as it always seems to be playing on some station, there was a short time when it wasn't on TV. It was during this time that I drew a picture of a witch and her cat. I then began writing a story based on it only the cat became a dog because a cat felt too traditional to me. Even back then I wanted something different. Anyway, once this story was about halfway written I put it away and didn't think about it again until I came across it a year later. Rereading it I decided to finish it. This would actually be the first story I ever felt compelled to finish writing. By this time I was now in 7th grade. The story was originally written as just that...a story. I never really planned on writing a series but in 7th grade I rediscovered Sabrina and not just the live action but the animated series as well. I didn't know it then but I was about to get very inspired to write more magical stories. I actually began wondering what it would be like if I was a witch and my "discoveries" where what I wrote down on paper which would become the basis of the next two stories in my first book. In the end it was discovered that me with magical powers would not have been a good thing! Anyway, after the first three stories were written I wrote one that was supposed to star a different character but somehow fit more into my previous characters life. It was at this time a story about a girl caring for and training two magical wolf pups got connected into my previous three stories and at which time my character of DWW began to split off from myself. From there on out she was her own person and when I wrote the next story about her, the one that would end the first book, which I still didn't know at the time, she was actually both older and more responsible than I was. I also began writing stories about a different witch though it also featured a character I had written about already. This is when Mortal Realm Witch became a series. Originally Mortal Realm Witch was the title of the first story I wrote but now this wouldn't work. It would take a long time before this story got a new name though. I had written all the stories that would become Books One and Two by the time I would enter my last two years of high school. During the second to last year I ended up having to be homeschooled because of allergies. I don't remember how it got to this point but at some point in time for whatever reason my tutor asked if I had written any stories. I showed her some of them. There was one, not part of this series, that she didn't like but she loved all the others. A few of these were part of my soon to be compiled Mortal Realm Witch series. It was her that first insisted I publish my stories. I was reluctant as this was something I had only thought of briefly before but decided it might be nice to dream about but wasn't something that was likely to ever happen. However, my tutor had connections with the local newspaper and asked if I would allow them to do a story on me. The story wasn't targeted as much on my writing as another thing but my stories and drawings were still a large part of it. Anyway she hoped I would find a publisher through this. I did but the publisher didn't turn out to be right for me as he wanted to change the series too much. Later my grandma happens to stop at a garage sale that an old neighbor was having. The neighbor wasn't there but a friend of hers was. My grandma starts up conversations with everyone she meets and she and the neighbor's friend started talking. It turned out the friend was an author, editor and publisher. She wrote a book called Travels with Max, a nonfiction book about her travels with her Labrador retriever who is a really nice dog. She said she would be interested in seeing my work and after my mom checked out her book and read it she decided we might be a good fit. It turned out really well as she helped edit and compile my books into Books One and Two in my series. She also technically published my first book but after seeing how many stories I had already written and hoped to publish one day she decided I should start my own company as this would benefit me the most. I agreed to learn how to become a publisher and my company A & M Moonlight Creations was born. We were able to switch the book over to my company just before it was officially published. My company is now in the process of publishing another author's book. Upon the release of my first book which I paid a layout designer for, I also decided to take on the challenge of learning the program to become a layout designer myself. As a result everything, except the editing, in my second book was done by myself. My Kindle eBook of my first book was also later done by me, however some changes in the way Kindle books are created left me unable to do my second book which is in the process of being created by someone else who will be showing me what I need to do for my third book and series companion so that I can create their eBooks myself as well as create eBooks for anyone else especially authors who publish with my company.
My company's website is in the works, however anyone can visit my author website at www.jenniferpriester.com, my series website at www.mortalrealmwitch.com, my blog at www.animalsandmagic.wordpress.com or find me in many other various places.

[[deleted user]]

Jennifer wrote: "I am currently a reader, writer, author, layout designer and publisher, but a long time ago I wasn't even a reader. For several years I hated to read. My teachers had said I would never be a reader..."

Awesome story Jennifer, thank you for sharing

[[deleted user]]

Debra wrote: "Erika wrote: "
Every writer have an interesting story about what made them start writing. This is my story of what inspired me to start writing the Ances..."

Thank you Debb :)

[Reyskaw]

I became an author simply because I've always loved stories. TV shows like LOST and Dollhouse really impressed me with the way that they told stories, the ideas that they explored, the way character arcs would evolve over the course of a season and so on. Truthfully, I was mostly inspired to become an author from things that weren't books like TV shows, video games, movies, etc.

But I loved storytelling and so one day I decided to write a story and within a few years I finally made myself write a full novel and that's how The Library Series was born. For me, having mysterious elements was important but I also wanted to strike a balance between those elements and 'creating a story that can be easily understood'. So, in the end, I gave away a lot of the answers to the mysteries that I presented in that first series.

Currently I'm writing Memory Blood which is a series that explores humanity which is a topic that everyone can relate to (or at least I hope so). In the future I'd like to write a wide variety of things, including a mystery series, while remaining focused on the things that have inspired me and using those things to better my own work.

By the way, I like the stories posted above and hope more people share why they became what they did sooner or later.

[[deleted user]]

Reyskaw wrote: "I became an author simply because I've always loved stories. TV shows like LOST and Dollhouse really impressed me with the way that they told stories, the ideas that they explored, the way characte..."

I checked your author profile Reyskaw, very impressive :)